Breech mechanism for guns.



No. 702,455. Patented June |7,, I902.

' y L. N.YD. MIXSELL.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

(Application filed Nov. 13, 1901.) i (no Model.) 3 sheets-Sheet l.

' 1 I WW wifmcoaeo No. 702,455. Patented June 17,- I902. L. N. n. MIXSELL.

, r BREEQH MECHANISM FOR suns.

, (Application filed Nov. 13, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 auvemlfdz WWW qvitueqseo Tn: NORRIS PETERS co, PHOYQLHHO" WASHINGTON o. c.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEIeI-IroN N. D. MIXs L, BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNoE TO BETHLEHEM STEEL-COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BEREECH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION altimeter of Letters Patent No. 702,455, dated Li ne 17; 1902. Application filed November 13, 1901. Serial No. 82,143. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEIGHTONN. D. MIX- sELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech Mechanism for Guns, of which thefollowing is aspecification. s 7

My invention relates to, that class ofguns in which a carrier-plate is hinged to the breech for the purpose of carrying a detachable plug to which proper movements are imparted by means ofa hand-leveryand my invention consists in means for supporting the hand- I 5 lever and for retaining the hinge-pin in place,

as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 1 V Figure 1 is a rear elevation of sulficient of the breech mechanism of a gun to illustrate my improvements. Fig. 2 is'a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation through the axis of the hinge mechanism. Fig. 4 isa section on the line 4 4:, 2 5 Fig. 3, showing the carrier-plate at an angle to the breech ofthe gun; and Fig. 5 is a detached view of the hinge-pin.

The breech A of the gun is. provided with separated lugs 12 3 in line with each other and bored out for the reception of the hingepin B, extending vertically through said lugs and throughlthe carrier-plate C andthe operating-lever D. It will be seen that the operating-lever D in such case instead of being placed upon the lower end of the pinand requiring the use of-a nut and washer to retain it vertically in position on the pin is placed between the lugs 2 and 3, so that the pin is not depended upon for supporting the lever vertically. In order to dispense with the necessity of making use of a nut or other fastening to prevent the vertical movement of the pin, I provide the latter with a key 5, adapted tea-vertical keyway or slot 4 in the lug 1, which key prevents the turning of the pin upon its axis, and below and separated from the key 5 I arrange a projection 6, ex tending from the pin below a shoulder 8, constituting the upper portion of an annular 5o groove or recess below the upper edge of the carrier-plate O and surrounding the pin-opening therein, the contact 'ofthe upper face of the projection 6 with the shoulder 8 preventgroove below said shoulder, andthis channel or recess 9 I place atsuch a point that the recess will coincide with the keyway when the carrier-plate is at an angle to the rearface of the breech,sothatthere can beno such coincidence or opportunity for the hinge-pin to be lifted either when the carrier-plate is closed against the breech of the gun or when it is swung fully back to open the breech {but the coincidence can occur only momentarily in swinging the carrier-plate from its closed-to its open position. the pin to become detached except upon a deliberate adjustment of the carrier-plate to a position which it never normally occupies except for an instant of time. It will be seen that by this arrangement the pin is securely fastened without the employment of any nuts or retaining devices, which. are apt to become detached and lost and interfere with the safety of the operations.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim asmy invention- 1. The combination with the breech of a gun, of lugs 1, 2 separated to receive a portion of the carrier-plate between them, and a 85 lug 3 below and separated from the lug 2 to receive the end of the operating-lever, said lugs, carrier-plate and lever being perforatedfor the reception of a hinge-pin, substantially as set forth. 9o

2. The combination with the breech of a gun and with the carrier-plate thereof, of a hinge-pin passing through coinciding openings in the breech and plate, a key, alug below the same on the pin, an annular groove 5 around the opening in the plate below the top edge thereof, and a recess extending from said groove to the said edge, substantially as set forth.

" 3. The combination with the breech of a I00 There is therefore no opportunity for 7o gun, of separated lugs, a carrier-plate extending between said lugs, a hinge-pin extending through the lugs and carrier-plate, a groove forming an annular shoulder on the carrierplate below the upper edge thereof, a recess extending from said shoulder to the said edge, a key on the pin adapted to a key-slot in the upper lug, and a projection below said key adapted to said recess, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the breech of a gun and with a carrier-plate, and a lever having coinciding openings to receive a hingepin, of a key, a projection below the same on the pin, a keyway in the breech to receive the key, a shoulder on the carrier-plate below the top edge, and a recess between the said edge and the shoulder arranged to coincide with the keyway when the carrier-plate is at an angle to the breech, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a gun having lugs arranged to receive a carrier-plate and an operating-lever between them, a hinge-pin passing through perforations in the lugs, plate and lever, and with a key and projection below the same, a keyway in the upper lug for said key, an annular shoulder on the plate occupying a position above the projection, and a recess between the shoulder and the upper edge of the plate arranged to coincide with the keyway when the plate is at an angle to the breech, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEIGI-ITON N. D. MIXSELL.

Witnesses:

O. R. MILLER, FRED QUIER. 

